A court martial over cross-border smuggling with Afghanistan has Pakistani soldiers on alert.
Pakistan’s KARACHI
According to Pakistan’s acting interior minister, the country’s strong army leader has threatened to arrest and try any military personnel found to be participating in cross-border smuggling.
Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti claimed that army head Gen. Asim Munir has informed “his people” that security officers participating in cross-border smuggling will be detained and tried in court.
The warning followed an ongoing crackdown on illegal dollar transactions, as well as the smuggling of sugar and wheat into the neighbouring country of Afghanistan, which led to a record-low depreciation of the local currency and a sharp increase in the cost of basic necessities.
The US dollar last month reached a high of Rs335 in the open market before falling to Rs286 as a result of the widespread crackdown on money exchange businesses and dealers involved in unauthorised dollar withdrawals.
In response to a query, Bugti said, “Pakistan’s army chief has told his people very clearly that there will not only be court martials, but those involved in such activities would also be sent to jail.”
